Undergarment with replaceable front panel

ABSTRACT

An undergarment, such as a corset, adapted to be worn about a torso of a wearer includes a body having first longitudinal edges. A separate panel is removably attached to the first longitudinal edges of the body. The separate panel can be replaced by another separate panel which has a different design, coloring, or material construction. The body may be formed of first and second separate body members which also are secured along second longitudinal edges by adjustable lacing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATION

This application claims the priority benefit of the Jun. 8, 2012 filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/657312, filed in the name of Cheryl Bell and entitled “CORSET WITH REPLACEABLE FRONT PANEL”; the entire contents of which are incorporate herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates, in general, to women's garments and, in particular, women's undergarment which are designed to encircle at least a portion of a woman's torso.

With particular regards to undergarments such as bustiers, girdles and corsets, such garments generally include a one piece body having an openable fastener located to be positioned in an easily accessible position by the wearer. The fastener can include tie up lacing, snaps, hooks, or a zipper.

It is also known to construct such garments with a drawstring type lacing typically located along the wearer's back and a front located zipper, snaps or hooks. This allows the wearer to tighten or loosen the drawstring to obtain a desired amount of tightness around the wearer's torso while still enabling the zipper, snaps or hooks to be used to provide easy ingress and egress to and from the garment.

However, such garments, and, in particular, corsets, bustiers and girdles, are generally provided in one color or multiple colors and either with or without an ornamental design. While a whole set of such garments may be provided in different colors, color combinations and designs, if a user wishes to change the color or design of a particular undergarment, she has to purchase another garment.

It would be desirable to address this problem by providing a woman's garment which has replaceable panels of different colors, color combinations, material construction and/or design.

SUMMARY

A garment includes a body having a pair of spaced first longitudinal edges between top edges and bottom edges, the first edges adapted to be located in front of a wearer's torso when the body is worn by a wearer, and a separate panel replaceably joined between the first and second front edges of the body.

The separate panel is separably joined to the body by separable fasteners. The fasteners can be attached to the first edges of the body and the opposed side edges of the separate panel.

The first edges of the body and the opposed side edges of the separate panel can have complimentary shapes. The complimentary shaped first edges of the body and the side edges of the separate panel can have a continuous linear shape or sinuous shape.

The separate panel can have a polygonal shape with square corners, or trapezoidal shape with non-perpendicular corners between a top edge, bottom edge, and side edges to form the separate panel with one of the top edges being longer than an opposed bottom edge, or a top edge which is smaller in length than the opposed bottom edge.

The separate panel is positioned at the front of the body when joined to the first edges of the body.

The separable fasteners can include a pair of fasteners, one of the pair of fasteners mounted on each of the first edges of the body and each of opposed side edges of the separate panel.

The separate panel has at least one material layer formed of a transparent material or a semi-transparent material.

The separate panel can have at least two material layers, including a back layer of one material and a front layer formed of a transparent, semi-transparent, or lace and mesh material.

The undergarment can include a body formed of first and second body members, each having spaced first and second longitudinal edges, a pair of fasteners, one of the pair of fasteners fixed to first longitudinal edges of the first and second body members and adjustable fasteners secured between the second longitudinal edges of each of the first and second body members.

The body of the undergarment can include an upper brassier portion.

A separate panel is replaceably joined between the first longitudinal edges of the first and second body members.

The separate panel is separably joined to the first longitudinal edges of the first and second body members by separable fasteners. The fasteners can be a zipper attached to the first and second front longitudinal edges of the first and second body members and to opposed side edges of the separate panel.

The first longitudinal edges of the first and second body members and the opposed side edges of the separate panel can have complimentary shapes. The complimentary shape of the first and second edges of the first and second body members and the opposed side edges of the separate panel can have a continuous linear shape or a sinuous shape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The various features, advantages and other uses of the present garment with replaceable panel will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed description and drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing one aspect of a garment with replaceable front panels;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the releasable connection of one of the front panels of FIG. 1 in the garment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another aspect of a replaceable front panel mountable in a garment;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view showing another aspect of one of the replaceable front panels of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of another aspect of a replaceable front panel shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of another aspect of a replaceable front panel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another aspect of a garment with a replaceable front panel; and

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of another aspect of a garment with a replaceable front panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A garment, depicted by way of example as being in the form of a corset 10, is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It will be understood that the features described hereafter can also be applied to different types of garments and, particularly undergarments, such as bustiers, girdles, etc. The corset 10 is designed to encircle or be worn around the torso and abdomen of a wearer. The corset 10 can be formed from a single piece of continuous material or a plurality of individual sections, which are securely joined, such as by stitching, adhesive, etc.

The corset 10 is constructed of a suitable undergarment material, such as cotton, latex, synthetic fabrics, etc., in one or more layers.

The corset 10 includes first and second body members 12 and 14. The first body member 12 has a top edge 16, a bottom edge 18, and a visible panel surface 20 extending between a first longitudinally extending edge 22 and a second longitudinally extending edge 24.

The second body member 14 is similarly constructed with a top edge 26, a bottom edge 28, and a visible panel surface 30 extending between a first longitudinally extending edge 32 and a second longitudinally extending edge 34.

Adjustable fasteners, such as lacing 40, is provided in one aspect for securing the corset 10 about the torso of a user. The lacing 40 includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced eyelets 42 adjacent to the second longitudinal edges 24 and 34 of the first and second body members 12 and 14. The lacing 40 includes a lace 44, which is threaded through the eyelets 42 in a crisscross pattern and tied at the ends to secure the corset 10 about the torso of a user.

A pair of straps 46 is shown by way of an option, in FIG. 1. The straps 46 which are sewn or otherwise attached to the body panels 12 and 14 adjacent back portion of the top edges 16 and 26, respectively, are securable to fasteners, such as buckles 50, for example, attached to a front portion of the top edges 16 and 26 of the first and second body members 12 and 14, respectively.

Boning or stiffeners 52 may be attached to the first and second body member surfaces 20 and 30 to maintain the shape of the corset 10 during use.

According to one aspect of the corset 10, a replaceable, separate panel 60 is removably attached to the first longitudinal edges 22 and 32 of the first and second body members 12 and 14, respectively, to be located at the front of a user's torso. The separate panel 60 can be formed of an undergarment material and may be constructed with one or more layers. The separate panel 60 may also be provided with a variety of ornamentations, including different designs, appliqués, colors, and combinations thereof, which can be the same or different from the color, material, and ornamentation used to form the remainder of the corset 10. For example, the body member panel 60 can be formed of a different color than the color of the first and second body members 12 and 14 of the corset 10. The separate panel 60 can also be formed of a different material in addition to or in lieu of a different color than the remainder of the corset 10. Further, a separate member panel 100, FIG. 6, may be formed of multiple layers, including a back layer 102 of one color which may be different from the color of the material of the remainder of the corset 10, and an outer layer 104 of a transparent or semi-transparent material, such as a clear fabric of an ornamental lace or mesh. A separate panel 106, in FIG. 4, may simply be formed of a single layer 108 of a lace or mesh material with an ornamental design to provide semi-transparency to the separate panel 106. Alternately, a separate member panel 110, FIG. 5, may be formed entirely of a semi-transparent material 112. This enables the user to interchange different separate panels 60, 100, 106, or 110 in the corset 10 for different ornamental appearances.

The separate panel 60 is formed, for example, with a top edge 62, a bottom edge 64, and first and second side edges 66 and 68. The top and bottom edges 62 and 64 and the first and second side edges 66 and 68 surround a visible panel surface 70. The first and second side edges 66 and 68 of the separate panel 60 are complimentarily shaped to the shape of the first longitudinal edges 22 and 32 of the first and second body members 12 and 14 of the corset 10.

The first and second side edges 66 and 68 may have a straight longitudinal extent and may be disposed at any angle relative to the ends of the top and bottom edges 62 and 64 of the separate panel 60. For example, the first and second side edges 66 and 68 of the separate panel 60 may have a continuous linear extent extending perpendicularly between the ends of the top and bottom edges 62 and 64. Alternatively, the first and second side edges 66 and 68 can have a continuous linear extent, but are disposed at non-perpendicular angles with respect to the ends of the top and bottom edges 62 and 64. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper ends of the first and second side edges 66 and 68 of the separate panel 60 may be formed at acute angles with respect to the top edge 62. The lower ends of the first and second side edges 66 and 68 are formed at obtuse angles with respect to the bottom edge 64 to form the separate panel 60 in a generally trapezoidal shape where the top edge 62 is longer than the bottom edge 64. The trapezoidal shape may be also be inverted with the top edge 62 being smaller in length than a longer length bottom edge 64.

In another example shown in FIG. 7, the side edges 66 and 68 of the separate panel 60 as well as the complimentary shaped first longitudinal edges 22 and 32 of the first and second body members 12 and 14 may have a smoothly curved, shallow sinuous shape. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the curved shallow, sinuous shape of the first and second edges 66 and 68 of the separate panel 60 makes the top edge 62 longer in length than the bottom edge 64. It will be understood that the shape may also be inverted where the top edge 62 is smaller in length than the bottom edge 64, but with the side edges 66 and 68 still having the illustrated smoothly curved, shallow sinuous or flattened S-shape.

The separate panel 60 is removably attached to the first longitudinal edges 22 and 32 of the first and second panels 12 and 14 by two fasteners 80 and 82 which provide separable interlocking engagement between the side edge 66 of the separate panel 60 and the front longitudinal edge 22 of the first body member 12 as well as the opposite side edge 68 of the body member 60 to the front longitudinal edge 32 of the second body member 14.

By way of example, the fasteners 80 and 82 are illustrated as being zippers, also referred to as zipper 80 and 82. Interlocking teeth 84 of each zipper 80 and 82 extend laterally from a tape or strip attached to the first and second longitudinal edges 22 and 32 of the first and second body members 12 and 14. A slidable pull member 86 may be mounted at either of the upper or lower ends of the zipper teeth 84 on the edges 22 and 32 of the first and second body members 12 and 14 or on top and bottom edges 62 and 64 of the separate panel 60.

It will be understood that other types of fasteners, such as Velcro, snaps, interlocking hooks and loops, etc. may also be employed to replaceably attach the separate panel 60 to the corset 10.

In use, the user chooses one separate panel, such as separate panel 60. The selected separate panel 60 is then attached by means of the fasteners, such as the zippers 80 and 82, to the first longitudinal edges 22 and 32 of the first and second body members 12 and 14 of the corset 10. During this attachment, the lacing 40 is already in place between the eyelets 42 along the second longitudinal edges 24 and 34 of the first and second body members 12 and 14. The lacing 40 may be in a loosened state or already tightened to conform the corset 10, including the separate panel 60, at the desired circumference or tightness about the user's torso.

After the separate panel 60 has been attached to the corset 10, the corset 10 may be placed about the torso of a user to enable the lacing 40 to be tightened to secure the corset 10 about the torso of the user in the desired tightness and conforming fit.

After the lacing 40 has been properly adjusted to the user's preference, the user may put on and take off the corset 10 via the separate panel 60 merely by unzipping one of the zippers 80 or 82.

When the user desires to replace the separate panel 60 currently attached to the corset 10 with a different separate panel 61, FIG. 1, the user unzips both zippers 80 and 82 to separate the existing attached separate panel 60 from the first and second body members 12 and 14 of the corset 10. With the new separate panel 61 aligned between the first longitudinal edges 22 and 32 of the corset 10, the user than engages one zipper 80 with the separate panel 60. The user then engages and pulls one zipper pull 86 of the zipper 82, to attach the side edge 66 of the body member panel 60 to the first longitudinal edge 22 of the body member 12 of the corset 10. The user then wraps the corset 10, including body member 60, about her torso and then closes the other zipper 82 to secure the corset 10 with the separate panel 60 about the user's torso.

As shown in FIG. 7, a modified corset 140, similar to the corset 10 shown in FIG. 1 may be provided with an upper located brassier portion 142. The brassier portion 142 forms a continuous extension of the first and second body members 12 and 14. Otherwise, the corset 140 functions in the same manner as the corset 10. The separate panels 60 or 61, etc., are also modified to have an extended length to coincide with brassier portion 142 of the first and second body members 12 and 14.

FIG. 8 depicts another modification to the corset 10 in which a corset 150 is formed substantially the same as the corset 10 except that the first and second body members 12 and 14 are combined into a single unitary continuous panel 152 expending between first longitudinal edges 122 and 124. The corset 150 does not include the adjustable back lacing 40 used in the corset 10. Otherwise, the corset 150 functions in the same manner as the corset 10 to receive replaceable front panels, with only one front panel 60 shown in FIG. 8. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An undergarment comprising: a body having a first pair of spaced longitudinal edges between top edges and bottom edges, the first longitudinal edges adapted to be located in front of a wearer's torso when the body is worn by a wearer; and a separate panel replaceably joined between the first longitudinal edges of the body.
 2. The undergarment of claim 1 wherein: the separate panel is separably joined to the body by separable fasteners.
 3. The undergarment of claim 2 wherein the separable fasteners comprise: zippers attached to the first longitudinal edges of the body and opposed side edges of the separate panel.
 4. The undergarment of claim 1 further comprising: the separable fasteners including a pair of fasteners, one of the pair of fasteners mounted on one of the first longitudinal edges of the body and on one of the opposed sided edges of the separate panel.
 5. The undergarment of claim 1 wherein: the first longitudinal edges of the body and the opposed side edges of the separate panel have complimentary shapes.
 6. The undergarment of claim 5 wherein: the complimentary shaped first longitudinal edges of the body and the side edges of the separate panel have one of a continuous linear shape and a sinuous shape.
 7. The undergarment of claim 1 wherein: the separate panel has one of a polygonal shape with square corners, a trapezoidal shape with non-perpendicular corners between a top edge, a bottom edge, and the side edges to form the separate panel with one of a top edge longer than an opposed bottom edge, and a top edge smaller in length than the opposed bottom edge.
 8. The undergarment of claim 1 wherein: the separate panel is positioned at the front of the body when joined to the first longitudinal edges of the body.
 9. The undergarment of claim 1 wherein the separate panel comprises: at least one material layer of one of a transparent material and a semi-transparent material.
 10. The undergarment of claim 1 wherein the separate panel comprises: at least two material layers, including a back layer of one material and a front layer formed of one of a transparent, semi-transparent, lace and mesh material.
 11. The undergarment of claim 1 wherein the body comprises: first and second body members, each having spaced first and second longitudinal edges; a pair of fasteners, one of the pair of fasteners fixed to the first longitudinal edges of the first and second body members; and mating fasteners secured between the second longitudinal edges of each of the first and second panels.
 12. The undergarment of claim 1 further comprising: the body including an upper brassiere portion.
 13. An undergarment comprising: a body having first and second body members, each of the first and second body members formed with spaced first and second front longitudinal edges between top edges and bottom edges, the first longitudinal edges adapted to be located in front of a wearer's torso when the body is worn about a wearer's torso; and a separate panel replaceably joined between the first longitudinal edges of the body.
 14. The undergarment of claim 1 wherein: the separate panel is separably joined to the first longitudinal edges of the first and second body members by separable fasteners.
 15. The undergarment of claim 14 wherein the separable fasteners comprise: a zipper attached to the first longitudinal edges of the first and second body members and to opposed side edges of the separate panel.
 16. The undergarment of claim 13 wherein: the first longitudinal edges of the first and second body members and the opposed side edges of the separate panel have complimentary shapes.
 17. The undergarment of claim 15 wherein: the complimentary shape of the first longitudinal edges of the first and second body members and the opposed side edges of the separate panel have one of a continuous linear shape and a sinuous shape. 